Cellular telephones provide users with significant mobility and freedom and are becoming a preferred means of communication between individuals. Indeed, given the popularity of such telephones, the service providers for these cellular telephones vigorously compete for users. As a direct result, many companies continuously provide new and better cellular telephones, service options, or the like, in order to entice more people to purchase their products. Consequently, users frequently switch from one service provider to another, typically to capitalize on better services. Unfortunately however, when users change providers, a new telephone number is typically assigned.
The frequent switching of cellular telephone providers, therefore, has created a relatively unique problem in providing up-to-date directory assistance for cellular telephone numbers. It is well understood that in order to initiate a telephone call to a cellular telephone, the initiating party typically must have the telephone number of the other party. It is also well known that many publishers provide printed directories of telephone numbers. These telephone books are printed on a periodic basis and attempt to provide comprehensive, up-to-date listings of telephone numbers and their corresponding users. Unfortunately, however, since the cellular telephone numbers change so frequently, the publishers of the printed telephone directors typically do not print cellular telephone number directories.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.